Ferrari participated in a private Formula 1 test behind closed doors in Barcelona on the second practice day, which was hampered by rainy weather and two red flags connected to Red Bull incidents. Ferrari showcased its 2026 contender, the SF-26, for the first time during the five-day F1 private shakedown at the Barcelona-Catalunya track on Tuesday, with Max Verstappen from Red Bull also making his first appearance of the year.
Only Ferrari and Red Bull were active on Tuesday, as McLaren postponed its testing until Wednesday. Both teams faced a mix of wet and dry track conditions. Verstappen triggered a brief red flag in the morning after sliding into the gravel at Turn 5 during his out lap, but avoided further issues. The four-time world champion completed 27 laps in the RB22 before handing over to new Red Bull driver Izak Hajjar, who later crashed at Turn 14 on lap 51, causing another red flag.
Video clips show Hajjar hitting a wall with the rear of his car, impacting the barrier. Although unharmed, the crash damaged the rear wing and suspension, ending Red Bull’s testing early. Charles Leclerc completed 64 laps in the morning session, followed by Lewis Hamilton’s first run in the SF-26, during which he completed 45 laps before the final red flag occurred.
With intermittent rain in the afternoon, Hajjar’s best lap was 1:31.981, while Hamilton set a time of 1:33.455, according to Soi Motor. Under dry conditions, Verstappen was quickest with an unofficial 1:19.578, edging out Leclerc’s 1:20.844; in the wet, Leclerc led with a 1:32.088, faster than Verstappen’s 1:38.254.
Leclerc gave positive feedback after driving the new Ferrari, stating, “It was great to be back in the car. This car is completely new and unlike anything I’ve driven before. Our current focus is on making sure all systems are functioning correctly, and so far, everything seems to be working.” He added that despite the rainy conditions, they continued their program as performance evaluation is not the priority yet; rather, the goal is to verify all new systems.
Due to the unpredictable weather, teams such as Mercedes, Haas, Alpine, Audi, Racing Bulls, and Cadillac opted not to test on Tuesday. F1 teams are allowed to run their new cars on any three days during the week. Aston Martin is yet to complete a run with its 2026 car but is expected to participate by Thursday, while Williams missed the shakedown entirely after failing to have its FW48 ready.
More rain is forecast for Wednesday, though weather should improve for the final two days of testing on Thursday and Friday.
Fan Take:
This first glimpse of Ferrari’s SF-26 and Red Bull’s early runs hint at an exciting development race for 2026. For fans, these behind-the-scenes tests could shape the future rivalry and performance dynamics of what promises to be a fascinating new era in Formula 1.
